Doctor Who bot ready to save the universe

Sonic screwdriver at the ready… The Doctor is getting more interactive with his fans.

The BBC has launched its first ever Doctor Who Bot in conjunction with Skype.

A new six-part adventure, especially written for the initiative, sees The Doctor invite players to help him save the Universe.

Players will experience The Doctor communicating with them directly and setting them challenges, logic puzzles, and quizzes, revolving around the search for a mysterious artefact known as the Key To Time. Scattered throughout time and space, users must locate all six segments of the Key and restore it, in order to save the Universe.

The bot will feature voice-overs from Peter Capaldi, and is creatively developed by writing talent Joe Lidster (The Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood).

Following the launch today, a new Chapter will be released every week shortly after episodes air on ABC (Australia).

Jaclyn Lee-Joe, Chief Marketing Officer at BBC Worldwide said “It’s hugely exciting to be launching a Doctor Who Bot on Skype – which gives us the opportunity to deliver a new form of digital story-telling with our cutting-edge brand. Through this new innovation we get to experience first-hand how bots can help deliver digital first content, and immerse audiences, old and new, in the Doctor Who universe like never before.”

Steven Abrahams, Group Product Manager, Studios and Strategic Partnerships for Skype said “Our goal is for everyone in the world to experience the best Skype has to offer and the Doctor Who bot with BBC Worldwide brings a range of new features and functionality. We’re excited to see the bot bring users and fans one step closer to meeting the iconic Doctor.”

To add the Doctor Who Bot manually, users need to search for “Doctor Who Bot” in the Skype Bot Directory, read the bot’s profile and terms, and then click “Add to Contacts”. To see new updates as they begin to roll out, users need to be on the latest Skype app for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, or Web.